IGNP and Its Agricultural Impact on Western Rajasthan

The Indira Gandhi Nahar Pariyojana, formerly Rajasthan Canal, is the single most transformative agricultural infrastructure project in Rajasthan's post-independence history.

6.1 Project Profile

• Source: Harike Barrage (confluence of Sutlej + Beas rivers, Punjab), distributing Rajasthan's share of the Indus Waters under the Indus Waters Treaty (1960) and the interstate water sharing agreement
• Length: Main canal 445 km; total distribution network ~9,245 km
• Command area: Approximately 15.79 lakh hectares (Phase I: Suratgarh–Pugal zone; Phase II: Jaisalmer–Barmer zone)
• Districts served: Sri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Jodhpur (partially)
• Water flow: 18,500 cusecs (524 cumecs) at head works

6.2 Agricultural Transformation

Before IGNP: Zone I-B (Sri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh) was scrubland and pasture. After IGNP:

• ~6.6 lakh hectares brought under active irrigation in the command area
• Crop diversification: Cotton, wheat, paddy, and even mustard now grown in areas where only bajra and moth bean were possible
• Sri Ganganagar model: The oldest part of IGNP's command (Gang Canal, built 1927 by Bikaner state) made Sri Ganganagar the "food bowl" and "cotton bowl" of Rajasthan
• Horticulture boom: Kinnow mandarin oranges in Sri Ganganagar, pomegranate and guava orchards in Bikaner district

6.3 Ecological Concerns

IGNP's success carries ecological costs that RPSC has flagged in adjacent topics:

• Waterlogging and soil salinity: Over-irrigation in Phase I canal area has led to rising water tables, waterlogging, and secondary salinisation of former desert soils, reducing productivity
• Seepage losses: Unlined canal sections in Phase II lose 30–40% of water to seepage, depleting groundwater in non-command areas
• Desertification reversal vs. ecological fragility: The project created a green corridor but also altered the desert ecosystem

See Topic #33 for water allocation, interstate disputes, and irrigation policy.

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